How to Avoid Unwanted Behavior in Horses

Horses are naturally very social animals that live in herds and spend the majority of their time consuming small meals throughout the day.  Today, a lot of horses are confined to living in a stall with minimal pasture/social time and given large infrequent meals high in concentrates.  This type of modern management system does not allow the horse to express natural behavior like it normally would in more of a pasture-based system within a herd.  As a result, horses may develop unwanted behavior such as cribbing, weaving, stall/fence walking, separation anxiety, and even aggression.  There are four key areas to address when trying to avoid unwanted behavior in horses.

The first area to address is the amount of time your horse has outdoors.  This may sound simple and truthfully it is- horses need to spend as much time outside of their stall as possible.  Turnout time can include a pasture, dry lot, or exercise paddock.   If this time can include grazing that is ideal for your horse so that they can consume fresh forage which in return makes for a healthy digestive tract.

Next area to evaluate is how much time does your horse spend alone?  If your answer is all the time then you may have noticed that your horse is eager to be with other horses and may act out in certain situations.  Horses are naturally very social animals and want to be with other horses.  A herd size of 4-10 horses of the same sex works best (with the exception of stallions).  If your horse cannot be in a herd consider getting another animal as a companion such as a goat, donkey, or sheep.  Horses spend time establishing dominance and relationships so try to minimize introducing new horses frequently to the herd.

Another important area to consider is your horse’s diet.  Is your horse getting enough forage in its diet for its weight, age, and activity level?  Forage (pasture or hay) is the basis of a horse diet and when not given enough horses can start unwanted behavior such as cribbing and wind sucking.  Also, when forage is limited or large amounts of grain are fed horses are more likely to colic.  Horses need small frequent meals to mimic their natural behavior of grazing rather than a couple of large meals a day. 

Lastly, training can have a lasting effect on how your horse behaves.  Make sure that your horse is receiving the kind of training that allows the horse to rest, eat, and socialize.  Certain training methods can be abusive and pushy resulting in unwanted behavior.

Source: University of Minnesota Extension

Original Article: http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/care/horse-behavior-and-stable-vices/